Ohope escarpment drainage project

The Ohope escarpment drainage project to build stormwater and wastewater reticulation system is on schedule and the contractors are pleased with the support and cooperation they are getting from both residents and road users, says Whakatane District Council’s Community Projects Manager, Barbara Dempsey.

Mrs Dempsey says the physical works which commenced in October this year are progressing well and are on schedule for completion in May 2008.

A spokesman for the contractor, David Burns says that HEB Smithbridge would like to thank residents for their support and understand during the construction.

“The residents have had to put with up road digging, and the noise of the machinery involved in the required trenching of pipelines for stormwater and wastewater systems” says Mr Burns.

Mr Morpeth a resident at Otarawairere Road comments that the working relationship between the contractor and the residents has been very good adding that the level of consultation and communication through out the project has been excellent.

Three local boys have been following the project with great interest. Aidan Donald says that watching the machinery working has been very exciting while his younger brother Liam likes the blue machine the best.

Mrs Dempsey says the contractors will be closing down for the Christmas holiday break on Friday 21 December 2007 and work will resume on 7 January 2008.

In February 2007, the Council agreed to proceed with the Otarawairere/Cliff and Brown Road reticulation project as part of the district’s hazard mitigation projects. This project is in response to the severe landslips that occurred in July 2004. The magnitude of landslips prompted the Council to investigate what measures could be taken to reduce the risk of landslips occurring in the future.